LIFESTYLE | BLAIR WITCH REVIEW

Posted on September 25, 2016

Black out, silence and anticipation. These three things can describe the 5 seconds wait for the “Blair Witch” movie to start. I went to see the movie with my best friend, Maggie, being both fans for horror, well I’m slightly bigger fan of horror, nevertheless we both had our expectations for the movie. I personally didn’t see the trailer before I’ve seen the movie, I wanted to be completely surprised by the story, the movie directed by Adam Wingard had not relation to the follow up movie to second Blair Witch movie “Book of Shadows” made in 2000. Being a horror fan the moment I’ve see the posters for “Blair Witch” stuck in one of double decker bussed being driven around London I knew I had to see it. Preferably in the cinema for the entire experience. I have only seen 2 other horror movies in the cinema in my time and both of them were a bust so you can guess that my expectations were rather low. Especially when buying the ticket I’ve found that the movie’s age restriction was 15. And that moment my exceptions went even lower. I personally prefer when horror movies are meant for ages 18+ it adds to the scare factor and emotional scares that brings to them afterwards (such as “The Ring.”)

Lot’s of jump scares

Are you surprised? I wasn’t at all. Let’s face it the first movie “Blair Witch Project” made in 1999 is a cult following movie and trend setting one for that matter and f0r a good reason. Than again remember that movie was made in the late 90’s so the filming and production was made using entirely different resources than the modern horror films. No cgi effects, no fancy photoshop editing and that was the beauty of it all.You could really relate to the scare and the feeling that the movie gives you afterwards. One of the main reasons why psychological horror is one of my favourite horror genre out there. It really scares you. (I’m just kidding)

However compering to the first one this episode didn’t do this to me, than again over the years I became so not sensitive that barely anything get’s me anymore. It’s great! The movie starts with James Donahue finding a video on a web of his sister that disappeared 20 years ago located near Burkittsville while trying to find out more about the legend of the Blair Witch. Being convinced she’s still alive, James is determined to find her in the woods were he heads with 3 of his friends, Peter Jones, Ashley Bennett and his film student friend Lisa Arlington who wanted to film the whole search for her documentary. James and his friends find a couple of locals Talia and Lane who found the film footage in the woods and uploaded it online. They agree to help the group of young adults find the place where they found it under one condition. The will come with them. Growing up on the legend of Blair Witch they are determined to find out more about the legend and whatever has happened to Heathers film crew 20 years ago. James, Peter and Ashley agree for the couple to join them as that was the only way to find safely the place where the video tape was found. Or was it? They head to Black Hills Forest, with Lisa filming everything on her camera. During their first night spent there things already start to get weird. Once the night falls they start hearing strange noises in the woods and end up oversleeping until afternoon. When the awake, they find pals of stones outside of their tents, with strange figures made from wood and rope surrounding their tents. Lane and Talia didn’t even cringe at the strange occurrence that rest of the group found abnormal and rather creepy. Later finding out that the couple has made the figures to scare the rest of the group, they are banished from the search for James’s sister despite their arguments that they are the only ones that can help them.

After walking for several hours the group of four end up the original campsite, which could mean only one thing, their GPS was acting up. Lisa is trying to find their location using her drone but it ends up acting up and crashing into the trees. On top of that Ashley who got a foot wound earlier in the movie got sick from the infection. The group decided to camp again to give her a rest and figure out their next move. Peter goes out to the woods to gather the firewood, ignoring the fact it’s already dark, the takes the walkie talkie and flashlight, in the middle of getting the firewood he gets chased by the unknown spirit which has caused the nearby tree to fall and deeply wound him. James heard the screams and cries of Peter and rushes to help him. But it was to late. Peter and his body was gone.

During the night both James and Lisa hear more and more sounds coming from the woods and around them. Than suddenly out of the woods Lane and Talia emerge, claiming they’ve been walking around the forest for the past 5 days without any luck to find the parking lot where they left their car. The weirder thing is the fact for the past 5 days were has not been any sunrise whatsoever. In the terror, paranoid Lane runs off to the woods leaving Talia behind. After another unsettled night James and Lisa are waking up still in the darkness of the nighttime with even more wood stick figures surrounding the tents. Ashley is in terror when she learns about Peters disappearance and accuses Talia of creating the stick figures and breaks them in half, that’s when out of no where Talia’s body is ripped apart in horror. After that somehow by the unknown cause the group gets separated . Ashley finds the drone and is fixated to get it ignoring the wound in her leg, seconds from reaching the drone a paranormal force pulls her from the drone to her death.

With only James and Lisa being still alive they find the Rustin Parr’s cabin. James sees his sister upstairs of the house rushing to enter. The moment the walked inside a destroyed house that looks like it will fall apart within minutes he ignores the danger of being crushed from the inside of the house the rushes upstairs with the feeling that something is after him and barricades himself in one of the rooms. Scared for her life Lisa seeing a humanoid like creature she rushes inside the house finding Lane who looked rather aged claiming he is under the control of the witch and traps her in the underground tunnel. She finds a way out and is crawling to the end of the tunnel with Lane waiting for her, in the act of self-defence she fatally stabs him. Having the feeling of being chased by the unknown force Lisa is running upstairs seeing a glimpse of reflection that James has noticed in the video from 20 years ago. She finds James in the attic where they both see light shining thought the cracks and the windows fading shortly after. Trying to barricades themselves in the room without any luck, James advices Lisa to face the corner of the room and is apologising to her for all that has happened to them and that something enters the room. James being convinced that he hears Heather’s voice he turns around and get’s killed by that it seems being the Blair Witch. Lisa still facing the corner of the room uses Lane’s camcorder to see whats behind her and is trying to walk backwards, than all of the sudden she hears James’ apology and turns around. Getting attached and killed she drops the camera and it faces into darkness.

The story doesn’t finish there

And while watching the “Blair Witch” there was something about getting lost in the woods, with not relation to time and day of the week. That concept is rather scary just imagine you are in the woods in the middle of the night and suddenly you hear noises especially since you know that the forest could be haunted by the spirits of Blair Witch. I’m not going to lie when thinking about it gives me shivers. The thing is, the scare factor to it is easy. It’s the fear of the unknown not necessarily fear of a sprit or a witch. You don’t know who it is, you don’t know what it is. You don’t know what could happen. Lot’s of horror movies rely on these type of scares or simply jump scares for that matter. I’m not going to lie, there were few jump scares in that movie that made me jump, but my issue with jump scares is the fact that usually there isn’t much follow up to them. What annoyed me as well was the fact the the movie didn’t have an actual ending, well I guess it leaves room for another Blair Witch movie, than again do we need another one? I personally prefer the first movie, it’s a classic. Than again those documentary style movies really have something real in them, you feel like you are in the actual situation where the actors are in. I liked the movie for the entrainment purposes, it’s a good Halloween movie for those who are just getting into horror. If you are just like me and became bit not sensitive to the scare factor you will be bit disappointed as the movie wasn’t that scary. Than again I’m a weirdo.

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1 Comment

Daaaaaaaah thanks for this review !! I did not see the film yet however I am so excited about it ! I am a big horror fan and the original Blair Witch film was my first ever horror film experience. I have a lot a mixed feelings about a reboot, I truly hope they don't fuck up the amazing memory I have about the 1st Blair Witch ! I can't waiiiiit to watch it !!!